Mayor Scott blasts Baltimore City Councilman after opioid hearing cancellation

Mayor Brandon Scott responded to Baltimore City Councilman Mark Conway following the cancellation of the opioid hearing. Councilman Conway took to social media Wednesday, alleging that he never agreed to cancel the hearing and the cancellation was done against his wishes. 'The response I received is that given the pending litigation, we could not be briefed,' Councilman Conway said. He added that he reached out to public health and medical experts to present at the hearing but he was 'dissuaded' from doing so. Mayor Scott's response stated that Councilman Conway's statement regarding the cancellation is 'categorically false.'

'Private briefings were offered to the Councilman in lieu of a public hearing, which can only serve to endanger the litigation that we have been fighting on for more than six years and are now poised to win at trial later this year. The Councilman reneged on that agreement and opted for a wildly inaccurate statement. It is clear the Councilman cares more about his personal profile than doing what is best for Baltimore's residents. Our administration is handling this case with the diligence and care it deserves, and have repeatedly communicated our position publicly and directly to the Councilman. We will avoid doing anything that endangers this case because winning this case is what's best for our residents. The hearing slated for today was scheduled for 1:00 pm.